v0.29.0-rc.0 Installer

[Kherm13]

Current Behavior

Installing new version windows_exporter v0.29.0.rc.0 how I normally would via PowerShell and windows service not starting up. Windows Event Viewer shows 'Cannot create another system semaphore.'

Normal Install Process:
msiexec.exe /i "C:\temp\windows_exporter-0.29.0-rc.0-amd64.msi" /q --% EXTRA_FLAGS="--config.file=C:\windows_exporter\config\windows_exporter-config.yml"

After looking at the windows service, it looks like its passing the new default path for --config.file AND also my extra_flags (along with --collectors.enabled [defaults])

windows_exporter path to executable
"C:\Program Files\windows_exporter\windows_exporter.exe" --log.file eventlog --config.file="C:\Program Files\windows_exporter\config.yaml" --collectors.enabled [defaults] --config.file=C:\windows_exporter\config\windows_exporter-config.yml

If I remove the first --config.file and --collectors.enabled[defaults] via the registry for the windows service, it works as expected.

"C:\Program Files\windows_exporter\windows_exporter.exe" --log.file eventlog --config.file=C:\windows_exporter\config\windows_exporter-config.yml

Expected Behavior

powershell install with custom config file should work normally. With the new installer, its passing arguments that I don't want/need. It should take into consideration what's being passed unless there is some other way I should be passing them now?

Steps To Reproduce

Run installer via PowerShell and pass EXTRA_FLAGS
Windows Service does not start up and throws 'Cannot create another system semaphore' in Event Viewer
Removing the additional --config.file and --collectors.enabled[defaults] from registry manually fixes it

Environment

• windows_exporter Version: v0.29.0-rc.0
• Windows Server Version: Windows Server 2022

windows_exporter logs

Cannot create another system semaphore.

Anything else?

No response

[jkroepke]

Hey @Kherm13

thanks for open a report. I appreciate that you test pre-releases.

Cannot create another system semaphore.

Thats an error that I even observe on healthy system from windows_exporter. At the moment, I have no idea what the root cause here.

I will introduce a separate flag similar to EXTRA_FLAGS which makes the config file configurable. If empty, the flat will be omit.
The background is #1466 where we would introduce a default config yaml without having the requirement to configure a YAML file.

If ENABLED_COLLECTORS is set to an empty string, e.g. msiexec.exe /i "C:\temp\windows_exporter-0.29.0-rc.0-amd64.msi" /q ENABLED_COLLECTORS=, then the collectors.enabled flag will be omit to.

I guess the best solution here is to revert the change and leave the property with an empty value by default.

[jkroepke]

Hi,

could you test a snapshot build https://github.com/prometheus-community/windows_exporter/actions/runs/10820325762/artifacts/1922009735 if it meets your expectation? keep the new docs in mind, https://github.com/jkroepke/windows_exporter/blob/arm64/README.md

[Kherm13]

Ran the amd64 installer with the following command

msiexec.exe /i "C:\temp\windows_exporter-0.29.0-rc.0-5-g2d5b0a7-amd64.msi" /q --% EXTRA_FLAGS="--config.file=C:\windows_exporter\config\windows_exporter-config.yml"

It not longer has the --collectors.enabled [defaults] but it still has the first --config.file entry for the windows_exporter service

windows_exporter path to executable
"C:\Program Files\windows_exporter\windows_exporter.exe" --log.file eventlog --config.file="C:\Program Files\windows_exporter\config.yaml" --config.file=C:\windows_exporter\config\windows_exporter-config.yml

[jkroepke]

but it still has the first --config.file entry for the windows_exporter service

This is expected. You have 2 choices here:

msiexec.exe /i "C:\temp\windows_exporter-0.29.0-rc.0-5-g2d5b0a7-amd64.msi" /q --% CONFIG_FILE="" EXTRA_FLAGS="--config.file=C:\windows_exporter\config\windows_exporter-config.yml"

or

msiexec.exe /i "C:\temp\windows_exporter-0.29.0-rc.0-5-g2d5b0a7-amd64.msi" /q --% CONFIG_FILE="C:\windows_exporter\config\windows_exporter-config.yml"

[Kherm13]

Got ya - will give it another try and report back! Thanks for the quick responses

[Kherm13]

This appears to work

msiexec.exe /i "C:\temp\windows_exporter-0.29.0-rc.0-5-g2d5b0a7-amd64.msi" /q --% CONFIG_FILE="C:\windows_exporter\config\windows_exporter-config.yml"

[jkroepke]

I'm aware that there is a breaking change, I will try to highlight this more at the final changelog.

The background was that some users had serious issues like #1466 and the msi installer is not so fully flexible to cover a breaking change.

I hope thats fine here.